Eclogue is becoming a fairly regular setter of Inquisitor puzzles.
This week, the preamble stated that "In clue order the correct letters from misprints in definitions provide the opening to the theme which indicates how eight answers must be treated before entry (four one way, four another), all leaving real words. Identification of the theme will enable solvers to complete the unclued entries. Number lengths refer to grid entries. One clue answer is an abbreviation."
This was a fairly standard preamble referring to misprints, messages and some tweaking of answers before entry, with a final exercise to deduce the unclued entries.
I always find the best thing to do is solve a few clues and see what is happening.
There were enough clues that I could solve to get a firm foothold in the grid and start to see the message emerging. It was the skeleton of the message that gave me the breakthrough. I could see something like IT’S COLD OUTSIDE and THERE’S NO appearing and those five words were enough to track down the theme to Red Dwarf, a cult television series which was still producing new episodes in late 2017
The theme tune can be found by by clicking here
The full message is IT’S COLD OUTSIDE THERE’S NO KIND OF ATMOSPHERE which are the opening lyrics to the show’s theme song. The wording of the preamble was very precise when it stated ‘the correct letters from misprints in definitions provide the opening to the theme’.
I could see then that the unclued entries were going to be the characters from the show. It was the one I didn’t really know that fell first – KOCHANSKI – followed by HOLLY, LISTER, RIMMER, KRYTEN and CAT. CAT came last because I nearly missed it.
I had a couple of amended entries before I the penny dropped about the two different ways the eight amended entries were to be treated. I had SPAS as an entry from SPASSKY and 10 across had to be something like _RO_TIES_ without my having any understanding of how the clue worked. REFUGES came next with the entry REES. At this point I made the connection between THERE’S NO KIND OF ATMOSPHERE and the removal of SKY and FUG. It was realising that 36 across would enter as COALFIELD and 21 down as CARPOOL that finally showed me what was going on. Four of the entries have words meaning COLD put around the answer before entry – IT’S COLD OUTSIDE. 10 across therefore became FROSTIEST
At this point STONE AGE fell. The last amended entries to be deduced were KEELMEN and SECRETAIRE.
The detail in the blog below shows how the answers were parsed before tweaking.
Some misprints were fairly obvious, some less so, but that’s normal in a puzzle where the misprint device is being used. Deducing the blanks within the bits of message you already have is a useful way of identifying the missing misprints. For example Read rig was fairly obviously going to be Road rig in 12 across and masher looked an odd word in 18 across. Less obvious, to me anyway, were bulge to bilge at 1 across and hope to pope in 25 down.
With hindsight, none of the clues were particularly difficult but many seemed insoluble before the misprint was identified.
The final grid looked like this
The title was A LITTLE LIGHT RELIEF. I’m not entirely sure of the connection to Red Dwarf other than it was a comedy providing light relief from the troubles of the day or perhaps Eclogue is telling us that the puzzle is not difficult. There is also reference on the Internet to a Light Bee which projects holograms of the dead. One of the main characters, Arnold RIMMER was originally portrayed as a hologram. I expect someone will point a more obvious connection.
| Across | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Clue | Letter | Wordplay | Answer | Entry |
| 1 |
Yahoo plating sandwiches getting bulge according to Jonathan (6) Yahoo plating sandwiches getting bilge according to Jonathan (6) |
I |
HOOPLA (hidden word in [sandwiches] YAHOO PLATING) HOOPLA |
HOOPLA (American slang word for nonsense [bilge]. Jonathan is a word for the people of the United States, collectively) |
HOOPLA |
| 7 |
Small amounts of gin almost get one drunk (4) Small amounts of tin almost get one drunk (4) |
T |
SOUSE (to get drunk) excluding the final letter (almost) E SOUS |
SOUS (tiny amounts of money; small amount of tin) |
SOUS |
| 10 |
Old form of rite special obligation (5) Old form of rise special obligation (5) |
S |
S (special) + TIE (obligation) S TIE |
STIE (variant spelling of STY which has an obsolete meaning of ‘rise’) Put a COLD word – FROST outside to generate the entry |
FROSTIEST |
| 11 |
African trait Blairite exploited having no truth to begin with (7) African tract Blairite exploited having no truth to begin with (7) |
C |
Anagram of (exploited) BLAIRITE excluding (having no) T (first letter of [for starters] TRUTH) LIBERIA* |
LIBERIA (country, tract of land in West Africa) |
LIBERIA |
| 12 |
Read rig reversing magnetism in discharge (5) Road rig reversing magnetism in discharge (5) |
O |
IT (sex appeal; magnetism) reversed (reversing) contained in (in) ARC (luminous discharge of electricity [of low voltage and high current] across a gap between two conductors or terminals) AR (TI<) C |
ARTIC (ARTICulated lorry; road rig) |
ARTIC |
| 13 |
Repays pound, say, and shilling (4) Relays pound, say, and shilling (4) |
L |
L (pound sterling) + E.G. (for example; say) + S (shilling) L EG S |
LEGS (sections; stints; relays) |
LEGS |
| 14 |
Bart‘s bad character second to Lisa in the past (4) Bard‘s bad character second to Lisa in the past (4) |
D |
I (second letter of [second to] LISA) + AGO (in the past) I AGO |
IAGO (villain in Shakespeare’s Othello; bard’s bad character) |
IAGO |
| 15 |
Regular army guards source of paunce (4) Regular army guards source of pounce (4) |
O |
ARAR (hidden word in [guards] REGULAR ARMY) ARAR |
ARAR (sandarach tree, the resin of the Moroccan sandarach tree is powdered to form pounce and is used in making varnish; source of pounce) |
ARAR |
|
16
|
Engines torn on this and that old frame (6) Engines turn on this and that old frame (6) |
U |
YT (obsolete [old] form of ‘that’) + RACK (frame) Y–T RACK |
Y-TRACK (a short TRACK laid at right angles to a railway-line, connected with it by two switches resembling a Y, used for reversing engines. |
Y-TRACK |
| 18 |
Boris, the old masher on board, soft idiot wearing blue (4) Boris, the old master on board, soft idiot wearing blue (4) |
T |
(P [piano; soft] + ASS [idiot]) contained in (wearing) SKY (reference SKY blue, a shade of blue) S (P ASS) KY |
SPASSKY (reference Boris SPASSKY [born 1937], Russian grandmaster and World Chess Champion [1969 – 1972] – master on [chess] board) Remove [no kind of] the atmosphere, SKY to generate the entry |
SPAS |
| 23 |
Highest part of pong knocking back porter, say (3) Highest part of song knocking back porter, say (3) |
S |
ALE (a type of porter) reversed (knock back) E–LA< |
E-LA (the highest note in old church music, E, the fourth space in the treble, sung to the syllable LA in the highest hexachord; highest part of song) |
E-LA |
| 24 |
Spirit on bar. something punk often passed round at teatime? (9) Spirit on bar. something pink often passed round at teatime? (9) |
I |
ANGEL (ministering spirit) + CAKE (bar [of soap, for example]) ANGEL CAKE |
ANGELCAKE (a light cake made of flour, sugar, and white of egg. often coloured pink) |
ANGELCAKE |
| 26 |
Crab feeler, a filler of gaps, very active (4) Crab feeder, a filler of gaps, very active (4) |
D |
UR (expression of hesitation; gap filler) + V (very) + A (active) UR V A |
URVA (the crab-eating mongoose of SE Asia) |
URVA |
| 30 |
Kiss a Croatian Pisces (4) Kiss a Croatian Pieces (4) |
E |
LIP (kiss) + A LIP A |
LIPA (in plural, Croatian monetary units; Croatian pieces) |
LIPA |
| 31 |
Denies replacing seconds with good retreads (4) Denies replacing seconds with good retreats (4) |
T |
REFUSES (denies) with G (good) replacing S (seconds) REFUGES |
REFUGES (retreats) Remove [no kind of] the atmosphere, FUG to generate the entry |
REES |
| 32 |
Follow space found regularly in lampasse (4) Hollow space found regularly in lampasse (4) |
H |
APSE (letters 2, 4, 6 and 8 [found regularly] of LAMPASSE) APSE |
APSE (semicircular or polygonal recess, hollow space) |
APSE |
| 34 |
Way of working concerning unknown wit (5) Way of working concerning unknown wet (5) |
E |
MO (modus operandi; way of working) + ON (concerning) + Y (letter frequently used to denote an unknown value in mathematics) MO ON Y |
MOONY (tipsy; wet) |
MOONY |
| 35 |
Loudly exaltations are met in fiery trials (7) Lordly exaltations are met in fiery trials (7) |
R |
A (abbreviation for are, a unit of area) contained in (met in) an anagram of (fiery) TRIALS L (A) TRIAS* |
LATRIAS (venerations accorded to God alone; lordly exaltations) |
LATRIAS |
| 36 |
Law’s roll redacted a file (9) Law’s role redacted a file (9) |
E |
Anagram of (redacted [edited; worked into shape] ) A FILE ALFIE* |
ALFIE (character played by [role] Jude Law in the 2004 film of the same name, ALFIE) Put a COLD word – COLD outside to generate the entry |
COALFIELD |
| 37 |
Anti-flash, at intervals, gets naughty (4) Anti-flash, at intervals, gets naughts (4) |
S |
NILS (letters 2, 4, 6 and 8 of [at intervals] of ANTI-FLASH) NILS |
NILS (naughts) |
NILS |
|
Down |
|||||
| 2 |
Limmer of yore, primarily one personating important entities (4) Limner of yore, primarily one personating important entities (4) |
N |
OPIE (first letters of [primarily] each of ONE, PERSONATING, IMPORTANT and ENTITIES)a painter on paper or parchment. OPIE |
OPIE (reference John OPIE [1761 – 1807], English painter of old [of yore]. Limner is a word meaning )a painter on paper or parchment) Typing OPIE artist into Google first brings up Julian OPIE, a pop artist born in 1958 |
OPIE |
| 3 |
Impresarios maintaining musical natation? (5) Impresarios maintaining musical notation? (5) |
O |
PRESA (hidden word in [maintaining] IMPRESARIOS) PRESA |
PRESA (a symbol used to indicate the points at which successive voice or instrumental parts enter a round, canon, etc; musical notation) |
PRESA |
| 4 |
Classic protection provided by lid covering is inhibited by hydrochloric acid (6) Classic protection provided by kid covering is inhibited by hydrochloric acid (6) |
K |
LORICA (hidden word in [is inhibited by] HYDROCHLORIC ACID) LORICA |
LORICA (leather [kid] corslet [old fashioned protective garment]; classic protection provided by kid) |
LORICA |
| 5 |
Pernods get ass drunk (6) Periods get ass drunk (6) |
I |
Anagram of (drunk) GET ASS STAGES* |
STAGES (periods) |
STAGES
|
| 6 |
Maples’ aves I advanced in Greek isle (5) Naples’ aves I advanced in Greek isle (5) |
N |
(I + A {advanced]) contained in (in) COS (Greek island) C (I A) OS |
CIAOS (informal greetings [aves] and farewells in Italian [Naples]) |
CIAOS |
| 7 |
Goa‘s spacier while tripping (7) God‘s spacier while tripping (7) |
D |
Anagram of (while tripping) SPACIER SERAPIC* |
SERAPIC (relating to Serapis a god of the Greeks of Egypt; God’s) |
SERAPIC |
| 8 |
A farm vehicle very good in lifting fragments from pit (7) A farm vehicle very good in lifting fragments from pot (7) |
O |
(A + CART [farm vehicle] + SO [very good]) all reversed (in lifting; down clue) (OS TRAC A)< |
OSTRACA (potsherds; fragments from pot) |
OSTRACA |
| 9 |
Press holding out on following private capital (7) Press folding out on following private capital (7) |
F |
SECRET (private) + AI (first class; capital) + RE (about; on) SECRET AI RE |
SECRETAIRE (cabinet folding out to form a writing desk, press folding out) Remove [no kind of] the atmosphere, AIR to generate the entry |
SECRETE |
| 17 |
It might solve what’s acceptable to many in revolution (4) It might salve what’s acceptable to many in revolution (4) |
A |
(U [socially acceptable] + LOT [many]) reversed (in revolution) (TOL U)< |
TOLU (a balsam yielded by the S American papilionaceous tree Myro-xylon toluifera or M. balsamum, used in medicine; it might salve) |
TOLU |
| 19 |
For starters, seismic analysis knows every ripple in Tokyo? (4) For starters, seismic analysis knows every tipple in Tokyo? (4) |
T |
SAKE (first letters of [for starters] each of SEISMIC, ANALYSIS, KNOWS and EVERY) SAKE |
SAKE (Japanese alcoholic drink made from fermented rice; tipple in Tokyo) |
SAKE |
| 20 |
Helmsman bottled lubber (7) Helmsman bottled lumber (7) |
M |
ELM (hidden word in [bottled] HELMSMAN) ELM |
ELM (tree; timber; lumber) Put a COLD word – KEEN [penetrationg; bitter; cold] – outside to generate the entry |
KEELMEN |
| 21 |
Perhaps Andersen shelters stellar pupil herein (7, 2 words) Perhaps Anderson shelters stellar pupil herein (7, 2 words) |
O |
ARP (hidden word in [herein] STELLAR PUPILS) ARP |
ARP (air-raid precautions; an Anderson shelter is small air-raid shelter consisting of an arch of corrugated iron, built partially underground, used in Britain during World War II) This is the abbreviation referred to in the preamble. Put a COLD word – COOL – outside to generate the entry |
CAR POOL |
| 22 |
West Indian begars mostly have stories to tell (7) West Indian segars mostly have stories to tell (7) |
S |
HAVE excluding the final letter (mostly) E + ANAS (collection of someone’s table talk or of gossip, literary anecdotes or possessions; stories to tell) HAV ANAS |
HAVANAS (Cuban cigars [segar is a variant of cigar]. Geographically, Cuba is a West Indian island) |
HAVANAS |
| 25 |
Party members of old hope to shoot mostly humanoid sons (6) Party members of old pope to shoot mostly humanoid sons (6) |
P |
GUN (shoot) excluding the last letter (mostly) N + ELF (in European folklore, a supernatural being, generally of human form but diminutive size; mostly humanoid) + S (son) GU ELF S |
GUELFS (member of a papal and popular party in medieval Italy, opposed to the Ghibellines and the emperors. party members of old pope) |
GUELFS |
| 27 |
Moneyed radicals succeeded after stars uprising (5) Honeyed radicals succeeded after stars uprising (5) |
H |
LYRA (northern constellation; stars) reversed (uprising; down clue) + S (succeeded) ARYL< S |
ARYLS (aromatic [honeyed] univalent hydrocarbon radicals) |
ARYLS |
| 28 |
Garth’s in verse soon replacing energy with first of meters (5) Earth‘s in verse soon replacing energy with first of meters (5) |
E |
EARLY (soon) replacing E (energy) with M (first letter of [first of] METERS) MARLY |
MARLY (in poetry [in verse],of the ground [earth’s]) |
MARLY |
| 29 |
Erin’s woeful posit (5) Erin’s woeful rosit (5) |
R |
Anagram of (woeful) ERIN’S RESIN* |
RESIN (Scottish word for rosin [resin]) |
RESIN |
| 33 |
Bodily firmness in droop with base primitive bra? (4) Bodily firmness in droop with base primitive era? (4) |
E |
(TONE [bodily firmness] contained in SAG [droop]) + E (base of natural logarithms) S (TONE) AG E |
STONE AGE (primitive era) Remove [no kind of] the atmosphere, TONE to generate the entry Note that TONE is used in the wordplay and the endgame with two completely different meanings |
SAGE |
Possibly my favouritest ever PDM! It was definitely challenging but I was chipping away slowly at the message – I’d got to ‘It’s cold outside’, which seemed vaguely familiar, one of those Christmas songs perhaps? But then I thought to add in the speculative ‘k’ from 4d, suggesting ‘there’s no kind of …’ and bam! there I was, goldfish shoals nibbling at my toes. HOLLY confirmed; KOCHANSKI, CAT, LISTER, RIMMER, KRYTEN written in without pause for breath. Other moments of pleasure scattered throughout the solve, with plenty of sustained interest even after getting the theme.
Thanks Eclogue, you hit my level with this one!
Thoroughly enjoyable. Not the most difficult Inquisitor, but near the top of my list of favourites this year. I filled about three quarters of the grid without too much trouble, then got stuck. Spotted the lyric, however, quickly popped in the character names and all became clear. The checking on 18ac was particularly helpful, as I solved the crossing answers first. 🙂
I enjoyed this very much but found the solving experience a bit odd. I made rapid progress until the grid was half full and then came to a complete stop. I was stuck for nearly two days, coming back to it every now and again and literally not getting another clue. Then in a moment of inexplicable inspiration I guessed KOCHANSKI and after a quick peek (cheat?) at Google the Red Dwarf theme fell into place. I find it bizarre that my way in to the theme was by guessing the name of the only Red Dwarf character I didn’t know. The rest of the characters and the lyrics were a write-in from memory. After that it was another romp through to the finish.
Thanks to Duncan and Eclogue.
PS. I thought the title had something to do with lights in the grid. They had to be relieved of their letters in some way. Not an entirely convincing explanation I know,
This may be a stretch, but infra-red light pain relief seems to be a thing, so is ‘a little light relief’ a cryptic clue for Red Dwarf?
I enjoyed this too (unlike Red Dwarf, which I never got). Thanks to Eclogue for a challenging but fair puzzle, and to duncanshiell for very full explanations – especially needed in the case of 18a, which I could fill in but not understand. Stupidly, I got obsessed with borts (they do exist), and the clue of course made no sense.
Never watched a single episode of Red Dwarf but am aware. So, not too easy, not too hard, not too exciting but not too dull. Thanks all.